Whales on the way

GET ready, the whales are coming. In fact, one of them is already here. The first whale of the season was spotted off Cotton Tree yesterday morning, prompting people to ring radio stations and line the Coast with binoculars and cameras, while about four boats ventured out for a closer look. An onlooker estimated the whale, who proved camera shy, was a kilometre out to sea. Among the thousands of humpbacks set to drift past the Coast this season could be two whales officially adopted and named by both the Noosa and Caloundra councils. Noosa named its whale Sunshine while Caloundra will ask school children to put their thinking caps on and christen its adopted whale in the coming months.

The Adopt A Whale project, which has so far enlisted support from 22 Australian councils, is an initiative of the International Fund for Animal Welfare and two other organisations based in Byron Bay and Hervey Bay.

"It is all about raising awareness of the fact that Japan is proposing to kill 50 humpback whales and we want to stop them turning them to sushi," Caloundra councillor Andrew Champion said.

"They could be whales that come along the Sunshine Coast. This project will involve schools and create a relationship between children and the humpbacks while increasing the support for whales to be free."

The council will send letters out to schools this week asking them to enter a banner-making competition once the distinct markings on the tail of Caloundra's whale are known. The whale-watching season is due to start on July 1 and Australia Zoo's 130-seat Whale One catamaran will be launched on June 23 in readiness for twice daily cruises right through to November.

Environment minister Lindy Nelson-Carr has reminded people to play it safe around the huge mammals and to abide by the approach limits.